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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23382445">Everything Floats Away</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/goingtothetardis/pseuds/goingtothetardis'>goingtothetardis</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Meddling TARDIS, POV Ninth Doctor, Soft Ninth Doctor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:54:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23382445</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/goingtothetardis/pseuds/goingtothetardis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor finds Rose seeking solace in the vast emptiness of space.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ninth Doctor/Rose Tyler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>97</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Everything Floats Away</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi friends! It's been a while. I've been on a bit of a DW renaissance this week with a S1 rewatch, so I've been having <i>many</i> Nine/Rose feels. And then I followed along with RTD's livetweet of 'Rose' on Thursday, and that only stoked the flames. Some of this story was inspired while doing a meditation class a few days ago. The instructor was telling us to imagine ourselves in a cocoon or within a force field of sorts, and I somehow ended up on the TARDIS, sitting in an open doorway looking out into space. This idea just kind of grew out of that mental image, and I thought it was fitting for the time in which we now find ourselves. It's a bit dark and scary, but it's important to take the time to find some peace, if we can. Even if it's just a few minutes. </p><p>And remember the words of the Thirteenth Doctor: <b>Darkness Never Sustains</b></p><p>I hope you are all doing well and find some joy in this little story! I have missed writing a lot!</p><p>Unbeta'd.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Strolling into the console room, the Doctor considers what he wants to work on while his human companion sleeps her life away. The dimensional stabilizers have been a bit wonky lately, and he eyes the console, considering his options. Getting under the grating is likely the easiest plan, but he wonders if he might be able to work some jiggery pokery – he smirks at the term, remembering his verbal sparring with Rose over the words – with his ship’s central processing unit instead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The central console pulses up and down once in greeting at his entrance, but the Doctor’s attention is quickly pulled to the side when he notices the front door to his impenetrable time ship hangs wide open. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’re you doing–” He stops mid question upon noticing his blonde companion sitting in the open doorway, her feet dangling into open space. “Rose?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose jumps slightly and shifts her body to face him. At the somewhat wan expression on her face, he walks quickly down the ramp. “Are you all right? What are you doin’ here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a shrug, Rose glances quickly at him before turning her gaze back out to the vast emptiness of space. “Dunno. Sometimes I come here when I can’t sleep. ‘S peaceful out there,” she says, gesturing into the darkness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor raises an eyebrow and snorts disbelievingly. “That’s peaceful? Knowing that a slight jerk of the TARDIS might fling you into the void of space? It’s certain death.” His gaze follows Rose’s out into nothingness, and he gives into the urge to sit down next to her, his own legs hanging into darkness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose’s small hand reaches for his, and his fingers instinctively wrap around hers. “The TARDIS won’t let anything happen to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you so sure of that?” the Doctor asks. “She’s a bit unpredictable at times.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a small huff of laughter, Rose gives him an amused glance. “That’s only when you’re being a bloody prat. She’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>always</span>
  </em>
  <span> nice to me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oi!” the Doctor growls in indignation and resorts to mumbled grumbling when the console pulses up and down a few times in apparent agreement to Rose’s words. “I see how it is,” he huffs, “gangin’ up on the driver. See if I ever take you anywhere nice again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose simply smirks at him, like she doesn’t believe a word coming out of his mouth, and squeezes his hand. The Doctor’s brief flare of annoyance dissipates as quickly as it arrived. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” he says, redirecting his thoughts to his earlier question. “Why are you here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For several long moments, he thinks he might not get an answer. Finally, Rose sighs heavily and squeezes his hand. “Some days are hard, yeah? I love travelin’ with you and the TARDIS, doing something with my life, but sometimes it’s...a lot. The days when there’s death and no one goes home happy...it’s hard to sleep. When you told me the TARDIS gets into my head, I...started talking to her one night, and after a while I figured out she was trying to take me somewhere, an’ she led me here. I’m not really in danger, am I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor studies Rose with a mixture of wonder and disbelief. “No. There’s a forcefield around the ship. Told you that when we watched the asteroid shower near Braxipan IV. And she’d never let you fall.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right, so, it’s comforting, somehow, knowing I’m safe inside the TARDIS. Being in here makes me feel comfortable, even when I’m looking into space. Everything that’s keeping me up just kind of...floats away.” Rose shifts her body to the right and leans into the Doctor’s side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He holds his breath as her breath evens out over the course of several minutes, and his brow furrows when he realizes she’s fallen asleep. Rose’s grip on his hand relaxes and he pulls his arm away to wrap around her back. Her head nestles gently against his chest, and the Doctor sits quietly, thinking about Rose’s words. He knows, of course, that this life is lightyears away from the one she’d lived before traveling with him. But the fact that she’d been able to hide her true discomfort about the death and destruction they encounter on a regular basis makes him wonder if he should be more sensitive to her very human need to decompress, relax, and come to terms with the reality of her new life with him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The very idea is more than a little uncomfortable. He quite simply doesn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> domestic, and he’s made that fact clear with Rose on more than one occasion. But perhaps it would do to me more considerate of her needs...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Behind him, the console pulses sharply a few times, and the Doctor rolls his eyes. Of course his bloody ship has an opinion about this, and she’d just given him a metaphorical smack against the back of his head. That opens up another curious topic. No companion has ever bonded so quickly with his ship, if at all. And mere minutes ago, Rose had spoken of the TARDIS as if they were friends. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Interesting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, now his meddling ship chooses to remain silent about this particular subject. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glancing down at Rose, the Doctor can’t help the way the corner of his mouth lifts while observing his sleeping companion. Very gently, he shifts his body, pulling his legs back up and scooping Rose up in his arms. He carries her out of the console room and down the corridor until he reaches the door to her room, which swings open for him to enter. Laying her down on the bed, the Doctor hesitates a moment before slipping her trainers off and covering her with a blanket. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She’s beautiful,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thinks, once again surprised at the thought as he studies her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor shakes his head and departs the room, closing the door quietly behind him, and returns to the still open door in the console room. He angles his body so his back rests against the frame of the door, and he allows his mind to drift, to follow Rose’s lead and seek comfort in the stillness of space. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And for a moment, he finds peace. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Find me at goingtothetardis.tumblr.com!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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